Small builders & GCs hub · By James Grokman, CEO, TapeAndFloat · Published October 25, 2026 · Updated October 25, 2026

New lead intake: answering every inquiry the same day

New lead intake means every homeowner inquiry, whether it came by text, call, web form, email or referral, goes into one list the day it arrives, gets a reply that day, and keeps a dated next step until the lead is won or lost.

Free download: New lead intake log (Excel). One row per inquiry with source, first reply date, next step, next step date and status. It flags leads with no reply yet, next steps that are overdue, quoted leads with no follow-up and stale leads, with thresholds you set on a Settings sheet. The example rows are labeled; delete them before you start. No email required.

1. One list for every channel

Inquiries arrive in a cell phone's texts, a voicemail, a website form, an email inbox and a friend's referral. When each one lives where it landed, nobody can see which ones have been answered. Keep one list (a spreadsheet is fine) and give every inquiry a row the day it comes in, including missed calls. Write down the source, so later you can see which channels bring the jobs you want.

2. What to write on each row

Date received and source (text, call, web form, email, referral).
Name and the best phone or email.
Job address or area and the job type (kitchen, bath, addition, repair).
The date you first replied.
The next step and its date: call back, site visit, send estimate, follow up on the quote.
Status: new, replied, estimate scheduled, quoted, won or lost.

3. Reply the same day, even if it is short

A first reply does not need a price. It needs to say you got the message and what happens next: "Thanks for reaching out about your bathroom. I can come look Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. Which works?" If you cannot take the job, say so politely the same day; that is still a reply. Put the reply date on the row so the list shows who is still waiting.

4. Every open lead gets a next step and a date

A lead with no next step is the one that goes quiet. After each contact, write down the next step and the date it is due. When the date comes, do the step or move the date on purpose. A short weekly look at leads with no next step, or a date in the past, catches most of what would otherwise slip.

5. Quoted is not done

Once an estimate goes out, the lead still needs follow-up until the homeowner says yes or no. Log the date the quote was sent and every contact after it. For a follow-up rhythm and polite wording, see bid follow-up tracking.

6. Close every lead as won or lost

Mark leads won or lost instead of letting them sit. A short reason for lost leads (price, timing, chose someone else, no reply) helps you see patterns in your own list over time. Won leads move to your job list, with any changes tracked from day one; see tracking change orders.

7. A ten-minute check each day

At the same time each day, filter the list for three things: inquiries with no reply yet, next steps due today or overdue, and quotes with no recent contact. Each one gets handled or gets a new date and a name.

Where an assistant helps

Inquiries land in different phones and inboxes, so the hard part is getting them into one list. During the pilot, TapeAndFloat's intake turns the texts and emails you forward into one lead list in your own Google Sheet and flags leads with no reply. It drafts replies for you to approve; nothing goes out until you approve it, and during the pilot a real person reviews everything.

Free 60-day pilot: keep working in your own phone, email and Google Sheet. Request a pilot spot.

More guides

Frequently asked questions

What is lead intake for a small builder?

Putting every homeowner inquiry, from texts, calls, web forms, emails and referrals, into one list the day it arrives, with the date received, source, contact, job type, first reply date, next step and status.

How fast should a contractor reply to a new inquiry?

Aim to reply the same day, even if the reply only confirms you got the message and offers a time to talk or visit. A short reply that sets a next step is better than a detailed one that arrives days later.

Do I need a CRM to track leads?

Not necessarily. A spreadsheet with one row per inquiry, a first reply date, a next step with a date and a status works if every inquiry gets entered the day it comes in and the list is checked daily.

What should I do with leads I do not want?

Reply anyway, politely and the same day, and mark the lead lost with a short reason. A clear no keeps the list clean and leaves a good impression for a future job or referral.

Free tools

Sub and vendor paperwork tracker (Excel): flags missing W-9s and COIs, expiring COIs and payments without an unconditional lien waiver.
W-9 & 1099-NEC sub payment tracker (Excel): a Payees sheet (entity type, W-9 received date, mailing address; never the full tax ID) and a Payments sheet (date, payee, amount, method, job), with a total per payee for the tax year and flags for paid with no W-9 on file, W-9 after the first payment, over the reporting threshold (editable; $2,000 for 2026 payments per irs.gov), corporations to confirm, attorneys, missing address, card/app payments and payments to someone not on the list. General information, not tax advice.
New lead intake log (Excel): one row per homeowner inquiry (date received, source, contact, job type, first reply, next step and date, status, quote sent, last contact), with flags for no reply yet, next step overdue, quoted with no follow-up and stale leads; thresholds on a Settings sheet.
Bid pipeline & quote follow-up tracker (Excel): one row per bid with sent and price-hold dates, a touch log, next follow-up worked out from day 3/7/14 (editable), and flags for follow-ups due or overdue, quotes expiring or expired while open, bids at the stop point, no sent date, won without amount and lost without reason.
2-week lookahead: subs & inspections schedule (Excel): one row per job per task with start and end dates, confirm-by dates from your settings, inspection requested/date/result, depends-on, Now/Week 1/Week 2 view, and flags for subs not confirmed, inspections not requested, failed inspections with no re-inspection, the same sub on two jobs at once, no sub assigned and starts before a dependency ends.
Permit & inspection log (Excel): one row per permit per job (type, number, applied/issued/expiration dates, card posted, final/closeout, fees, responsible) and one row per inspection (needed by, requested, result, re-inspection), with editable Settings and flags for permits expired or expiring soon, no permit number, not issued yet, inspections not requested by your lead time, failed with no re-inspection, work done but final not passed and fees unpaid.
Material orders, deliveries & returns tracker (Excel): one row per order line (supplier, PO, qty ordered and delivered, promised and delivered dates, ticket checked, backorder date, substitution approval, invoice match) and one row per return (RMA, expected and received credit, restocking fee), with flags for late or short deliveries, backorders past date, unmatched invoices and missing or short credits.
Job budget vs actual tracker (Excel): budget lines by job and cost code, actual costs from bills and receipts, signed change orders added to the budget, variance $ and %, and flags for lines over or near budget, costs with no job, cost code or budget line, and change orders not signed or not billed.
Punch list & warranty callback tracker (Excel): sets each due date from the reported date (punch and warranty days editable) and flags items past due or due soon, items with no sub assigned, items closed without homeowner sign-off or photos, and back-charges not billed.
Allowance & client selections tracker (Excel): works out each overage and its change order amount with your markup, and flags selections past due or due within 14 days, overages without a signed change order, signed overages not billed and credits not applied.
Unbilled change order calculator: what missed extras cost you a year, using your own numbers.
Texas lien deadline calculator: notice and lien affidavit dates under Property Code ch. 53 for any month of work.
Free office tracker (Excel): flags unsigned and unbilled change orders and past-due invoices.
Weekly office checklist (PDF): change orders, invoices, retainage, lien notices, COIs and crews on one page.

All free, no sign-up.

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